Catholic bishops express regret over Trump prayer images

Two Catholic bishops have expressed regret after images of them praying with President Donald Trump were publicly distributed, saying a gathering they understood would be private had been used for political purposes. Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob issued a public apology, while Des Moines Bishop William Joensen said the encounter had been exploited.

The statements followed an October 22 White House meeting attended by a dozen bishops. Both church leaders said they had intended to discuss public policy and Catholic teaching, not endorse Trump, his administration or a political party ahead of national elections.

In his October 25 statement, Grob said the Heritage Foundation had arranged the gathering. He said the invitation described a private discussion covering immigration enforcement, visas for religious workers and human dignity, with a possible opportunity to pray privately with the president.

Grob said the bishops met White House policy staff before being brought into the Oval Office for prayer and photographs. He said they had not known a video was being recorded and had not consented to public distribution of either the footage or photographs.

The archbishop said he subsequently received concerned messages, including from people who feared he had participated in a political event shortly before an election. Others described distress because they or relatives had been harmed by administration policies, he said. Grob apologised for the damage his participation had caused.

Joensen, in a separate statement published by the Diocese of Des Moines on October 24, described an invitation connected with the White House Faith Office. He said the policy agenda included immigration, exploitation of vulnerable people, international clergy visas, reproductive medicine, abortion-related issues and federal tax credits supporting private education.

He said engaging officials whose positions differ from Catholic teaching was part of his responsibilities as a bishop. The invitation appeared to offer an opportunity to explain the Church’s perspective on matters affecting people in his diocese and beyond, followed by prayer for the president’s leadership.

Joensen acknowledged that the bishops knew the meeting came close to a national election, but said none intended to endorse a candidate or party. He described several administration positions as incompatible with Catholic faith and said, in retrospect, he should have approached the invitation with greater caution.

Asked about permission to release the images, the White House did not directly address the consent question, according to the Associated Press. Instead, spokeswoman Taylor Rogers defended Trump’s record for Catholic Americans. That response left unanswered the bishops’ objection about how the prayer gathering had been publicised.

The statements draw a distinction between engaging political leaders on policy and allowing that engagement to be presented as electoral support. Joensen said he would seek greater prudence while remaining willing to meet and pray for officials at every level, signalling that his criticism did not amount to a withdrawal from such dialogue.